Merging diverse media and methods, a meticulous process of gathering and categorizing images and knowledge forms the backbone of Patrick Van Caeckenbergh’s practice. Drawing from an extensive personal archive filled with scientific diagrams, religious stories, folklore, and literature, his work reflects years of dedicated research. He delves into disciplines like taxonomy, cartography, genealogy, and cosmology, employing these classification systems to weave together and organize his complex ideas. Each project functions as a visual synthesis of the diverse information he accumulates through this investigative approach. One notable example is his series of fictional tree drawings, developed over seven years, which showcase an extraordinary level of detail and precision that borders on photorealism. Though the trees exist solely in his imagination, Van Caeckenbergh’s rigorous classification methods and careful execution create an illusion of authenticity. By merging factual references with imaginative interpretation, he constructs new narratives that reflect his encyclopedic and playful engagement with knowledge and storytelling. ...
